iPhone X, What’s In A Name?

On Tuesday, Apple made some big announcements and there has been a lot of debate regarding the new features of the new products. One subtle new addition for the iPhone line is the name, and Apple’s decision will have ramifications for years to come. First off, Apple chose to go with the iPhone 8/Plus over the 7S though admittedly it’s an “S” style upgrade. The iPhone X is now official, and Tim Cook and crew decided to refer to it as “ten” versus “ex” on stage. These two decisions leave quite a few questions on the future names for the iPhone line.

First off, the iPhone 9 can’t exist, right? If you have an iPhone X, aka “ten”, then how could you release a new phone that is already a generation behind? Surely, Apple could do whatever they want, but it’s still a bad idea to give consumers the idea that a new product has a number less than a product from the year prior. There could be an 8S next year, but Apple already positioned the X as the future of the iPhone, leaving a sideways “S” cycle is worrisome for the device’s success. The 2019 iPhone has an even tougher problem as the iPhone ten has already been taken this year. Apple could have just left the iPhone X as “ex” to mark a one off production like Project X. Leaving just the iPhone “ex” would have allowed for an X Series 2, like the Apple Watch, but calling it “ten” hurts that idea.

It would seem Apple is hurtling towards the idea of having all of their products having a standard and a Pro version. The MacBook started the trend, the iPad picked up on it, the iMac is joining in, and it seems the iPhone is next. This could be the last year for the iPhone Plus as the X offers a slightly bigger screen in a slightly smaller package. Apple could phase out the Plus as soon as 2018 leaving just the 4.7” iPhone and the 5.8” iPhone X. That would allow Apple to sell the iPhone and iPhone Pro respectively, and that logic makes you wonder why they didn’t just start with that this year. The iPhone X is just $200 more than the iPhone 8 Plus, and delivers a 5.8” OLED screen with 458 ppi in a device that is an ounce lighter, over a half inch shorter, and a quarter of an inch narrower. The iPhone and iPhone Pro would end the number confusion, and you would have simply new editions each year.

Apple has a tricky balance to work out over the next couple of years in iPhone naming due to their decisions this year. Some staff members at AppAdvice think Apple will go the way of Apple Watch and call next year’s model iPhone X Series 2. Personally, I’m looking towards the simple iPhone and iPhone Pro. What do you think?